In various types of road vehicles, it is conventional to have a radiator and an oil cooler as functional heat exchangers mounted on the vehicle for their respective functions of cooling the engine water and cooling the oil utilized for various functions. The cooler and radiator are usually disposed in aligned tandem positions where the cooler is located in front of the radiator. Both exchangers are disposed to have the path of cooling air directed so that the air moves axially through the cooler and directly therefrom and through the radiator which is located immediately behind the cooler relative to the air flow direction. In that conventional arrangement, both the cooler and the radiator are in confined spaces which do not permit access to either exchanger for the purpose of cleaning the dust and debris which normally moves in the cooling air and over the heat exchange surfaces of the cooler and the radiator. As such, the efficiencies of those exchangers are impaired in that the cooling tubes and fins accumulate insulating debris thereon.
There have been arrangements of coolers and radiators, in tandem assembly, and with either or both of those exchangers being movable to inoperative positions where they are at least somewhat exposed for purposes of maintenance, such as cleaning. However, those installations are of special arrangements which require sufficient space, along with very elaborate mountings, for purposes of moving either or both of the cooler and radiator to the inoperative and thereby cleaning positions. Such prior art arrangements are shown in the U.S. patents disclosed herewith.
The present invention relates to an improvement upon the prior art, such as that mentioned above and disclosed herewith. Particularly, it relates to the movable mounting of an oil cooler on a vehicle, such as a tractor, such that the cooler can be placed into an inoperative position for purposes of maintenance, such as cleaning.
In the disclosure for this particular invention, the cooler is disposed in tandem with the radiator and in its usual limited fore-and-aft space, relative to the direction of the passage of cooling air therethrough, and the cooler is mounted to be movably supported for movement between its operative and its inoperative maintenance positions.
Further, in the present arrangement, the tandem relationship between the cooler and radiator can be altered to where they are separated from each other so that they are in side-by-side position, rather than the original and operative tandem positions. As such, both the oil cooler and the radiator are accessible for purposes of maintenance, such as the cleaning mentioned. In that arrangement, one of the two exchangers is moved to the inoperative position, and it is mechanically supported in that inoperative position during the maintenance procedure. Further, the fluid lines connected to the movable exchanger can remain connected when that exchanger is moved between the operative and inoperative positions. That is, only a minimal of maneuvering and mechanical adjustments are required to position the movable exchanger between the operative and inoperative positions.
Still further, the assembled arrangement is such that an air-filter screen is positioned in front of the cooler, relative to the flow of cooling air, and the screen itself can be readily removed for purposes of cleaning, and that removal is accomplished without moving either of the two exchangers.
In general, there is an arrangement of two exchangers in tandem position and occupying their respective vertically clear spaces defined by the vertical planes extending along each exchanger's front and rear extents, and the exchanger is movable in its own vertical space, for purposes of exposing the faces of both exchangers for the maintenance purposes mentioned. Throughout, the hoses connected to the movable exchanger need not be disconnected in that they are flexible hoses which readily move between the operative and the maintenance positions while connected. In this arrangement, it should be understood that the exchanger-supporting vehicle is usually a tractor which operates in dusty and debris laden conditions and thus the cleaning of the exchangers can be convenientally carried out even on a daily basis, and therefore the expedient and easily accomplished feature of moving one of the exchangers out of its tandem position is accomplished and is important in this invention.
The invention includes the method of movably supporting a heat exchanger on a vehicle and arranging for movement of the heat exchanger within the confines of its own original vertical space, and with the movable support continually supporting the exchanger in both the operative and inoperative positions and in the path of movement therebetween.